2011 IWLCA Coaches Honor Awards Banquet
On Thursday evening, November 17, 2011, The IWLCA announced the recipients of the organization’s service awards as well as the national assistant coaches of the year awards as the organization held its annual convention in Naples, Fla. Tracy Coyne, former head coach at Notre Dame and Rutgers, was honored with the Diane Geppi-Aikens Lifetime Achievement award. Grand Valley State’s Alicia Groveston was named the recipient of the IWLCA Service Award while Quinnipiac’s Danie Caro was presented the President’s Cup. Michele DeJuliis (Princeton) and Barb Jordan (Gettysburg) both earned the IWLCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards.
Victory Club Recognition – 100 Career Wins
Suzette Soboti - University of Redlands
Jodi Canfield - St. Lawrence University
Bonnie Rosen - Temple University
Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe - James Madison University
Danie Caro - Quinnipiac University
Jodi Canfield, Bonnie Rosen, Danie Caro, Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe
Victory Club Recognition - 200 Career Wins
Amy Patton - Dartmouth College
Chris Paradis - Amherst College
Kerstin Kimel - Duke University
Jenny Levy - University of North Carolina
Ginny Martino - West Chester University
Janine Tucker - Johns Hopkins University
Jenny Levy, Kerstin Kimel, Amy Patton, Ginny Martino, Chris Paradis, Janine Tucker
Victory Club Recognition - 300 Career Wins
Carol Rappoli - Tufts University
National Coaches of the Year
Division I
Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern University
Northwestern’s Kelly Amonte Hiller helped the Wildcats to their sixth title in the last seven years. Amonte Hiller’s club finished 21-2, with 20 of those victories coming against teams in the top 20 of the IWLCA Coaches Poll and 10 vs. the top 10. With only two seniors on the team seeing regular minutes, Amonte Hiller coached a young squad to its seventh consecutive American Lacrosse Conference championship. She also mentored the sport’s Tewaaraton Award winner for the fifth time in six years in scoring leader Shannon Smith, as well as ALC Rookie of the Year Alyssa Leonard. Amonte Hiller, now 175-28 in 10 years at the helm, helped NU finish the year ranked second nationally in points (415) and fourth in draw controls (15.13).
Accepting for Kelly Amonte Hiller is Ann Elliott, Assistant Coach, Northwester University
Regional Coaches of the Year
Mid-Atlantic: Jen Adams, Loyola University
Northeast: John Battaglino, University of Albany
South: Amanda O'Leary, University of Florida
West/Midwest: Kelly Amonte Hiller, Northwestern University
Accepting for Jen Adams is Dana Dobbie, Assistant Coach, Loyola University
John Battaglino, University of Albany
Accepting for Kelly Amonte Hiller is Ann Elliott, Assistant Coach, Northwestern University
Amanda O'Leary, University of Florida
Division II
Joe Spallina, Adelphi University
Adelphi’s Joe Spallina wrapped up another stellar season on the sidelines in Garden City. He lead the Panthers to a spotless record of 20-0 and the programs third consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship with a 17-4 victory in the title game. In addition Spallina was named the 2011 Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year and the Nassau County Sports Commission College Coach of The Year. Spallina also produced standout players as he had six athletes named both IWLCA First-Team All-American and Region, eight players earned All-Conference honors, and three were named to the NE-10 All-Rookie team. He also groomed the NE-10 Player, Goalie and Defender of the Year. In four years at Adelphi, Spallina has a record of 73-2 and has earned three NCAA Titles.
Joe Spallina
Regional Coaches of the Year
North: Joe Spallina, Adelphi University
South: Scott Tucker, Limestone College
Scott Tucker, Limstone College
Division III
Carol Cantele, Gettsbury College
Carol Cantele led her alma mater to their first NCAA women’s lacrosse title in school history, turning in possibly her best coaching performance to date by molding a team composed almost entirely of freshmen and sophomores. Despite the loss of 10 seniors and 18 letter winners from last season’s national semifinal team, Cantele, the 2006 IWLCA Coach of the Year, guided the Bullets to a 19-4 re-cord, tied for the second-most wins in program history, and a runner-up showing in the Centennial Conference. In the NCAA Tournament, Cantele led Gettysburg to the fifth-highest goal total in NCAA playoff history in a 25-10 win over Adrian in the opening round. Cantele’s team ended Cortland’s 19-game winning streak in the semifinals to reach the national title game for just the second time in the 40-year history of the program. Against Bowdoin in the title game, Gettys-burg won its first NCAA title in any sport. Cantele was also recognized as the Metro Region Coach of the Year.
Carol Centele, Gettysburg College
Division III Regional Coaches of the Year
Metro: Carol Cantele, Gettysburg College
Pilgrim: Liz Grote, Bowdoin College
Berkshire: Kate Livesay, Trinity College
West: Ginger Miles, Claremont-Mudds-Scripps
Chesapeake: Jim Nestor, Salisbury University
Empire: Kathy Taylor, SUNY Cortland
Boardwalk: Sharon Pfulger, College of New Jersey
Kathy Taylor, SUNY Cortland
Ginger Miles, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges
Carol Cantele, Gettysbury College
Liz Grote, Bowdoin College
2011 Outstanding Assistant Coach Award
The purpose of the Outstanding Assistant Coach Award is to recog-nize an assistant women’s lacrosse coach who has made a distinct impact on the success of their program demonstrated through hard work, commitment, dedication and sportsmanship. This year’s recipi-ents are: Michele DeJuliis of Princeton University and Barb Jordan of Gettysburg College.
Michele DeJuliis is in her seventh season as an assistant at Princeton. In her six years at Nassau, DeJuliis has helped the program to an 80-44 record. The Tigers boast an Ivy League mark of 37-12 and have made the NCAA Tournament five of those six years, reaching the quarterfinal round all five of those seasons. In her time at Princeton, DeJuliis has coached the Tigers to 12 IWLCA All-America honors, 12 Tewaaraton nominations or appearances on the Watch List.
Barb Jordan enters her 10th season as head field hockey coach and assis-tant women’s lacrosse coach at Gettysburg College. As an assistant with the Bullets women’s lacrosse team, Jordan has played an inte-gral role in one of the top programs in the nation and in 2011, the team claimed its first national title. Over the last nine years with Jordan on staff, Gettysburg is 161-30, has claimed four conference championships, and has reached the NCAA tournament each year.
Princeton University Head Coach Chris Sailer & Assistant Coach of the Year Michele DeJuliis
Assistant Coach of the Year Barb Jordan of Gettysburg College and Head Coach Carol Cantele
2011 IWLCA Service Award
The IWLCA Service Award is given to that individual who has commit-ted themselves to the betterment of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association during the past year. This year’s recipient is Alicia Groveston of Grand Valley State University.
Alicia Groveston
2011 Team Community Awareness Awards
Division I: George Mason University
Division II: Lock Haven University
Division III: Dickinson College
Carol Hatton, Kristen Selvage, Lauren Hay
2011 President's Cup Award
The President’s Cup is awarded to that individual who has worked to promote, develop and enhance the intercollegiate women’s lacrosse game during the past year. This year’s recipient is Danie Caro of Quinnipiac University.
Danie Caro
2011 Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award
The Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award honors lifetime achieve-ment to the women’s college game. Renamed for the former Loyola head coach who inspired the nation with her courageous battle with cancer, this year’s award is presented to Tracy Coyne.
Tracy has been involved with women's lacrosse for most of her adult life, and has been a head coach for 23 years at various different levels. She has coached at the DIII level, at both Denison and Roanoke College, and most recently she was the Head Coach at Notre Dame for 15 years, starting the program and bringing it to national prominence. In 23 seasons as a head coach, her lacrosse teams have a combined 251-115 record (.686) and have won 10-plus games in 17 of those seasons. In addition to coaching at the collegiate level, Tracy served as head coach of the Canadian National Team for seven years and as an assistant coach for the United States women's lacrosse team in 1992. Tracy has developed many players throughout her career and is one of the winningest coaches of all time.
Over the years, Tracy has dedicated much time and service to the women’s lacrosse game. She chaired the Brine Division III national coaches' poll and is currently the Division I representative to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association's Board of Directors. She also has chaired the NCAA West/Midwest Regional Advisory Committee and the IWLCA's All American committee.
Tracy Coyne
